Does stress affect your Brain?

Are you sleeping restlessly, feeling irritable or moody, Sometimes so overwhelmed that you start crying for no reason? Forgetting things and all you want is to be isolated from all. Don’t worry we have all been there. You are just stressed out. Stress is not always a bad thing. It becomes more severe when it becomes continuous and you are in that mood always. It does not let you sleep, you are worried all day and night. This is the time you should become aware of because stress can change your brain reactions. If it is persistent for a longer period of time, stress affects your brain.

Chronic stress like being overwhelmed, or having continuous arguments at your workplace and with family members can affect your brain size, function, and its interaction with other cells.

Stress is homed in the Hypothalamus pituitary, adrenal axis, a series of interactions between endocrine glands on the kidney, in response to stress. When your brain detects a stressful condition the HPA axis is instantly activated and releases a hormone called cortisol. This hormone helps your body for instant reactions.

When you are continuously stressed, HPA is highly activated and cortisol level becomes high. This high level of cortisol is severe havoc to the brain. 

Its increases the activity level and a number of neural connection in the amygdala, which is the brain’s fear center.

Higher-level of cortisol deteriorate the electric signals in the hippocampus thus reducing the ability associated with learning, creating memories, and it also reduces the ability to tolerate stress. HIPPOCAMPUS  weakens the ability of the HPA axis.  By negative feedback mechanism, meaning the HPA produces cortisol, this cortisol affects the hippocampus, in turn, the hippocampus affects the HPA from where this loop started.

Increased Cortisol level causes the size of brain to shrink in its size. Its higher production may result in loss of synaptic connections between neurons and shrinking of the prefrontal cortex, part of the brain which helps to regulate your concentration decision making, judgments, and social interactions.

The effects of stress show its impact on your brain’s DNA.  An experiment shows the amount of nurturing a mother rat provides its newborn baby, plays important role in how that baby responds to stress later in their life.

The moms were less sensitive to stress because their brain developed more cortisol receptors, which binds to cortisol released and lowered its response.

The negligent moms had the opposite response, and became more sensitive to stress in their life, causing it further generation also to have sensitivity towards stress, throughout their lie.

Its means, one single negligent mother, can cause these character to pass on to several generations.

These are epigenetic changes, meaning they affect the gene which changes its behavior, without changing its genetic code. Called epigenetic inheritance.

But don’t you worry, remembering the fact that stress affects your brain, it is not all bad news that you cant come over your stress. There are many ways you can reverse the production of cortisol. The effective ones are exercise and meditation. Breathe deeply and be aware o what’s happening near you. These activities could decrease your stress and increase the size of the hippocampus, thereby improving your memory.

Don’t feel defeated by the pressures of daily life. Emerge strong and deal with it. Get your stress controlled, before it takes control of you.

Also read, Your Happy Hormones & How To Release Them

One life. Live Boundless